A Kurigram court has rejected the bail petition of former Deputy Commissioner (DC) of the district, Sultana Parvin, in a journalist torture case and ordered her to be sent to jail.
Sultana Parvin appeared before the District and Sessions Judge’s Court On Tuesday afternoon, seeking bail. District and Sessions Judge Mosammat Ismat Ara denied her plea and directed that she be sent to prison.
According to case records, while serving as Kurigram DC around five years ago, Sultana Parvin orchestrated the abduction of journalist Ariful Islam Rigan, Kurigram correspondent of Bangla Tribune, from his home late at night. He was then subjected to inhumane torture under a mobile court session and was falsely implicated in a narcotics case.
On March 31, 2020, the victim journalist filed a case against Sultana Parvin and three others, accusing them of unlawful detention, torture, and framing him in a fabricated case. The High Court later granted Parvin bail in the case.
The incident of 2020
In March 2020, at midnight, a mobile court led by the DC’s office picked up journalist Ariful Islam from his home. Around 2 a.m., he was tried under a mobile court session inside the DC office, sentenced to one year in jail, and fined Tk 50,000 on narcotics charges.
He was sent to jail immediately that night.
The following day, amid widespread protests from journalists across the country, the administration was forced to release him unconditionally.
Lawyers’ reaction
Speaking to reporters, Advocate Azizur Rahman Dulu, lawyer for the victim journalist, said: By sending the prime accused, Sultana Parvin, to jail, we have received an initial and fair outcome. We hope justice will be fully served.
